Oscillating clothes washer



May 5 1935. c; ADAIR 2,039,508

OSCILLATING CLOTHES WASHER Filed Nov. 20, 1935 Patented May 5, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

The primary object of the present invention is to produce a simple and novel device which, when applied to an ordinary round wash tub, produces a complete oscillating washing machine.

A subsidiary object of the present invention is to construct the aforesaid device in such a manner that it can be shipped in a knocked-down condition, in a small, compact bundle and be quickly and easily assembled by the ultimate user.

In carrying out my invention I provide a body member adapted to be set loosely on top of a, wash tub and having a portion projecting downwardly for a short distance in telescoped relation to the tub so that the tub not only constitutes a support for the weight of the device but also a journal bearing of large diameter that holds the device centered with respect to the vertical axis of the tub and permits it to be rotated about that axis. Long pins project downwardly from the under side of the body member for engagement with clothes or other goods in the tub, and a suitable handle is provided for turning the device about the vertical axis of the tub. The device forms no part of the tub and may be set aside except while being used for actual washing operations. When clothing or other goods are to be Washed, they are placed in the tub, along with a suitable washing fluid or fluids or, after having been washed, with a suitable rinsing fluid, and the device is then placed upon the tub with the pins extending down into the same and engaging with the goods therein. The device is then oscillated by means of its handle, the pins carrying the goods along with them, back and forth through the washing or rinsing fluid.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved device; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device applied to a tub which is shown more or less diagrammatically; Fig. 3 is an elevation of one of the cross bars or arms of the device separated from the other and shown resting upon a. tub in working relation thereto; and Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3, illustrating the second cross bar or arm.

In the drawing I have illustrated only a very simple embodiment of my invention, Which can be made very cheaply and which is eflicient in operation; and, for the sake of brevity, the detailed description Will be confined to this par-- ticular embodiment, although it will, of course, be understood that the invention may take any one of a great variety of forms.

Referring to the drawing, l and 2 are two strong, sturdy bars of Wood, each somewhat longer than the diameter of an ordinary round or circular Wash tub. These bars are joined together at their middle in crossed relation to each other and one of the bars is extended at one end to provide a projecting handle 3. The body member thus formed has projecting from one side thereof, which I shall term the under side, several long pins or standards l. In the arrangement shown, there are eight of these pins or standards, four carried by each of the cross bars or arms. Portions are cut away from the under sides of the cross bars or arms, adjacent to the ends thereof to provide end notches 5, 5 in the bar 2 and 5, 6 in the bar I. The parts are so proportioned that the length of the lower part of each bar, between the end notches, is approximately equal to the internal diameter of the top of an ordinary round or circular wash tub whereby, when the device is set upon the tub, parts of the cross arms project into and extend diametrically across the interior of the tub while the upper lip-like end portions rest on the rim of the tub.

The bars are notched at the juncture thereof, as indicated at 'l and 8, each notch extending across the width of the corresponding bar and halfway through the depth thereof, and the width of each notch being equal to the width of one of the bars. The notch in the upper bar I, indicated at I, is in the under side of the bar, while the notch 8 in the under bar 2 is in the top of that bar.

It will be seen that the two cross bars .or arms may be held together by simply making the mortise joint a tight fit which will prevent separation of the bars or arms from each other after they have once been joined. Similarly, the pins or standards 4 may be driven into complementary pre-formed holes in the cross arms so that they will remain attached to the latter after having been driven into the holes. Consequently, the device may be shipped with all of the individual pieces separated from each other and be assembled by the ultimate user without requiring the use of any tool except perhaps a hammer or other driving implement.

In the use of the device it is set on top of the tub, such as indicated at 9 in the drawing, the pins or standards projecting well down toward the bottom of the tub, and the device may then be turned back and forth about the central vertical axis of the tub by means of its handle. Where the tub contains washing fluids and goods to be washed, the pins or standards engage with such goods and swish them back and forth through the washing fluids and cause the dirt in the goods to be washed out into the fluids. When the fluid in the tub is a rinsing fluid instead of one adapted for washing, the effect of using my improved appliance is thoroughly to rinse the goods.

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A clothes washing device consisting of a body member composed of two radial arms angularly displaced with respect to each other and secured together, said arms being long enough to permit them to overlie and rest upon the top of a round wash tub, said arms having downwardly-projecting elements adapted loosely to engage the sides of the tub and hold said member centered on the tub, and long pins extending down from said arms for engagement with goods in the tub, and means on the device for turning the same about a vertical axis.

2. A clothes washing device comprising a body member having more than two radial arms long enough to permit the said member to overlie and rest upon the top of a round wash tub, said arms having downwardly-projecting elements adapted loosely to engage the sides of the tub and hold said. member centered on the tub, and long pins extending down from said arms for engagement with goods in the tub, one of said arms being extended to form a handle for turning the device about the vertical axis of the tub.

3. A clothes washing device of the kind described, comprising a pair of elongated members, each of said members having a recessed portion medially of its length, the recess in one member being on its lower face and extending transversely through the sides of the member, the recess in the other member being on its upper face and 

